I just got a pair of Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H with black sidewalls, the same tire Guitar Ted is reviewing here. Mine are 45-622 but they also come in 40 and 35 mm widths.
These measured a little over 49 mm on a 30 mm (inside) rim right after being inflated to 45 psi. No change in width after sitting a week and right about 49 mm with the pressure lowered to 30 psi. They should be true to size on 20 mm rims, maybe 1 mm over on 22 or 23 mm rims, and the sidewalls don't seem to stretch. On my rims the section is relatively flat compared to the rounder Snoqualmie Pass and Marathon Almotion.
I weigh about 165 and started at 32/36 psi. On smooth pavement the tires roll well, not as fast as the GP5000 but (within the limits of my perception) as fast as any gravel tire I've tried. Handling on pavement is flawless - none of the wandering or weird cornering I've experienced with some gravel tires, though I don't corner hard enough to put the side knobs in the middle of the contact patch. I don't hear any tread noise but a little road noise comes through if the surface isn't too smooth.
These tires glide very smoothly over broken up pavement and easy gravel. They don't lose much speed on rough surfaces. I can't yet say much about grip though they didn't slip during a brief standing acceleration test on gravel.
Probably the closest comparable tire is the GravelKing SK+. I'd say the Cinturato handles a lot better on pavement and seems as good on easy gravel and dirt. Way too soon to comment on puncture resistance or tread wear other than to note the Cinturato tread has more rubber and less air than the GravelKing SK tread.
stu wrote:I just got a pair of Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H with black sidewalls, the same tire Guitar Ted is reviewing here. Mine are 45-622 but they also come in 40 and 35 mm widths.
where did you buy them from? seems similar to the GK SS (not as much the SK).
where did you buy them from? seems similar to the GK SS (not as much the SK).
I got them from Amazon (sold by Bicycle Addiction) because everyone else was out.
The Gravel H has discrete tread blocks in the center so I thought the SK was a closer comparison. The height of the Gravel H center blocks looks between the SK and the SS.
I've ridden the GK slick and GK SK but not the SS. Just from looking at them I'd expect the Gravel H to ride more like the SS on pavement and more like the SK on gravel. But that's only a guess.
I think the Gravel H, GK slick, and GK SK are all good tires. I have to ride a lot of pavement to get to any trails so the SK isn't the best for me. Likewise the Gravel M gets great reviews but it doesn't look all that suitable for pavement.
stu wrote:I just got a pair of Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H with black sidewalls.....I can't yet say much about grip though they didn't slip during a brief standing acceleration test on gravel.
I was also impressed with the rolling speed and handling of the Gravel H (on pavement), and thought the 40c rode well for a tire with reinforced sidewalls, but I was not impressed at all with the grip. I rode it the same way as 40c GK SK's through corners and almost ate it a few times, and had one crash descending on loose over hard in windy conditions.
It would make an excellent race tire due to the speed / durability / reasonable comfort, but it just wasn't for me as an everyday training tire. Went straight back to SKs. I may give the 45c Gravel H a try later in the season, and potentially for a race when I have a lot more miles in the legs, and can make a more objective assessment vs. the 43c GK SK.
... I was not impressed at all with the grip. I rode it the same way as 40c GK SK's through corners and almost ate it a few times, and had one crash descending on loose over hard in windy conditions...
Thanks for sharing your experience! I ride slowly, very slowly in challenging conditions, so I'm mostly concerned with grip while climbing and braking. If I didn't spend so much time on pavement I would have gone with the Gravel M.
Now you got me thinking. Could I ride the pavement on wide road tires and carry a pair of Gravel M in my frame bag, then swap tires when I transition from pavement to trail? I use tubes and have plenty of practice changing tires. At the speed I ride the tire changing time might not be all that significant. 🙂
